Technological collaboration aids Cambodian de-mining effort

Citation

(2000), "Technological collaboration aids Cambodian de-mining effort", Sensor Review, Vol. 20 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2000.08720cab.002

Technological collaboration aids Cambodian de-mining effort

Technological collaboration aids Cambodian de-mining effort

Keywords: Cambodia, Land mines

The Japan Alliance for Humanitarian De-mining Support (JAHDS), a Japanese non-profit organisation, recently presented the HALO Trust, a registered British charity organisation involved with humanitarian de-mining efforts in Cambodia, with equipment specially designed to support anti-personnel land mine removal efforts, at Angkor Wat, in North West Cambodia. Several prominent people attended this presentation, including the Queen of Cambodia's representative Princess Sisowath Pongmony Monipong, Ambassador Saito, Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, and Guy Willoughby, founder and director of the HALO Trust as well as a 51-strong delegation from Japan representing JAHDS-supporting companies and Japan UNICEF. JAHDS demonstrated the latest version of the innovative "Mine Eye", a lightweight land mine detector, to key members of a unique technological collaboration of companies involved in Mine Eye's development (see Plate 2). One such participating company in this collaboration is the Omron Corporation of Kyoto, Japan, which has developed the sensor which serves as the core of the unit.

Plate 2 A JAHDS representative demonstrates the latest version of "Mine Eye", a lightweight land mine detector, to members of a unique technological collaboration involved in the detector's development, including OMRON Electronics, which developed the sensor serving as the core of the unit

JAHDS was formed in 1998 by Mr Hiroshi Tomita, who became passionate about the landmine issue back in 1994 when he saw pictures of Afghan children crippled by particularly barbaric "butterfly mines" which are placed on the ground and designed to entice children by looking like toys.

Mr Tomita approached Omron, recognised as a world leader in electronic components, systems and services. Together with Mr Tomita's own company Geo Search, and IBM Japan, Omron is using its core "information sensing technology" in developing a special sensor which JAHDS is using at the core of Mine Eye. In alignment with a corporate philosophy dedicated to contributing to society, Omron was eager to apply its experience in these technologies for such a humanitarian purpose.

Standard metal detectors cannot detect plastic mines, and can be easily confused by harmless metal objects such as nails, and by the presence of ferriferous soil (soil containing a high iron content), which is common in many mine-infested areas of Cambodia. But Mine Eye uses electromagnetic waves to detect both metal and non-metal mines. It can also provide a host of other essential information unavailable through standard detectors, such as the location, depth and shape of buried mines, greatly improving the efficiency of mine removal efforts.

Furthermore, the additional information provides considerable improvement in operator safety, allowing mine removal staff to carry out their task with a great deal more safety and assurance. Field tests in Cambodia in November 1999 confirmed the effectiveness of the Mine Eye.

Omron hopes that Mine Eye will soon provide vastly improved efficiency in clearing mines from farmland, roads, and children's play fields, tangibly improving the quality of life in mine-infested areas. Omron is proud and deeply honoured to be supporting JAHDS in its de-mining activities.

Further information: Mandy Smith, Omron Electronics Limited. Tel: +44 (0) 181 450 4646; Fax: +44 (0) 181 450 8087.